Offense - Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As a thousand thoughts raced through her mind, the body in her arms remained soft and warm.

"You're hurting me."

Zhou Yanqian pressed her face against Lian Wan's collarbone, her soft, chiding voice slow yet clear.

She said it coquettishly. Lian Wan immediately realized her arms had been tightening unconsciously. Her hands were clamped firmly around Zhou Yanqian's waist, and she could even feel the full softness beneath her clothes.

Zhou Yanqian added, "Your grip is so strong."

Lian Wan heard her but said nothing, still holding her arms tight. The dark shelves surrounded them like silent spectators. She turned to the side, wanting to shield her more closely. That softness and fullness remained in her embrace, like holding a ball of cotton, sending a numbing shiver through her. Outside, the sun blazed, and she alone guarded the treasure in her arms.

A treasure that was hers alone.

Zhou Yanqian asked in a soft voice, "How much longer are you going to hold me?"

Compared to Lian Wan's tense posture, she seemed very relaxed. As she spoke, her breath puffed against the skin by Lian Wan's lips, dissipating as quickly as it came, like ripples on water. Yet the intimate warmth of her breath lingered, a damp presence that refused to leave, just like Lian Wan's fantasies of her on countless past nights.

Lian Wan pressed her lips together, silent for a long moment, before finally answering in a low voice:

"I don't want to let go."

Leaning in her arms, Zhou Yanqian laughed. "Well, we can't stay here too long. The little kid is still outside."

"What should we do?" she asked, tilting her head back and gently bumping her forehead against Lian Wan's chin. "As punishment, you have to come see me again tonight."

As she spoke, she shifted restlessly in her arms. Lian Wan still held her, her hand on her waist like a red-hot brand. Zhou Yanqian grew uneasy under her gaze, and her voice softened, sounding even more delicate and gentle. "Not here… there's no one watching the store."

"Be good. Go get your work done," she said considerately, her arms around her neck.

For some reason, the image of the little girl staring at her through the truck window suddenly appeared in Lian Wan's mind.

Unable to explain this belated sense of embarrassment, Lian Wan reluctantly did as Zhou Yanqian wished and let go. She grabbed a random bottle of mineral water from a corner and followed her outside. As the door opened, the bright sunlight flooded in. The water bottle in her hand grew warm, yet it was completely dry, without a single drop of condensation.

Clutching the water, she walked to the counter and spoke to the little girl. "Do you want to come with me on my run, or stay here and play with Sister?"

Before she could finish, Zhou Yanqian jumped in. "Stay here and play with Sister."

She spoke, but her eyes, hooked on Lian Wan, never left her. She smiled as if no one else was there. "The big truck is going to make deliveries. It's so dirty and full of dust. What if you come back with a grubby little face?"

The little girl, clutching the candy Zhou Yanqian had given her, spoke in a clear voice like a bright little trumpet. "It won't! I rode in the truck this morning. It was so cool!"

"Is that so?" Zhou Yanqian patted her head, then glanced at Lian Wan again. "So impressive."

A faint excitement stirred restlessly in her heart. Lian Wan hesitated for a few seconds, then avoided her gaze and lowered her head. "I'm leaving, then."

She instructed, "Be good and play here with Sister. I'll come pick you up for lunch."

"You're such a nag, Xiao Lian." Zhou Yanqian's lips curved into a smile as she gave her a gentle push. "Go work hard. Don't worry about us."

The push wasn't hard, but it left Lian Wan completely dazed. It wasn't until she was outside under the sun that she realized her cheeks were burning and her steps felt a little weak.

Sitting in the truck, Lian Wan, for a rare moment, seriously considered the possibility of skipping work.

But when it came to making money, Wang Zhiqiang had always been highly efficient. Orders from the furniture factory came in one after another. Lian Wan made several trips to the county that day, and by the time she finally had a moment to go back, it was already three or four in the afternoon. The store was quiet. Zhou Yanqian was holding the little girl, watching TV. When she saw Lian Wan, she smiled. "How did your face get so dirty?"

In just a few short hours, the little girl had already warmed up to Zhou Yanqian. She jumped out of her arms to get a tissue for Lian Wan. "Sister, wipe your face."

As Lian Wan wiped her face, she heard Zhou Yanqian teasing the girl beside her. "Doesn't Sister look like a little calico cat?"

The little girl giggled. "She does!"

"Then what are you?" she said, touching her nose to the girl's. "You're a little white rabbit, so white and clean."

"I'm a clean little kitty!" the girl said. "And Sister, you're… you're…"

She thought for a long time before finally pulling a fitting description from her little head. "Sister is a Persian cat! With long fur, and she sways when she walks, just like in the cartoons."

"Oh, so I'm that pretty? Am I really?" Zhou Yanqian teased her.

"Yes!"

The two of them were having fun, and Lian Wan felt a strange pang of jealousy. She didn't even take a sip of water. After wiping her face, she just ordered, "Let's go."

Her voice was very cold.

The little girl was startled by her tone and fell silent, obediently standing beside her and tugging on the corner of her clothes.

Zhou Yanqian's smile also vanished. She lowered her head and fiddled with the crumpled tissue Lian Wan had used, looking hesitant and a little embarrassed.

Lian Wan's heart itched watching her fidgeting fingertips, and she finally spoke to break the silence.

"I might not be back tonight," she said. "I have to go to the county again later."

"Oh." Zhou Yanqian hadn't expected that. She gave a dry reply, a bad feeling in her heart. Sure enough, seeing Lian Wan's crestfallen expression, she quickly tried to remedy the situation. "Then… who are you staying with tonight?"

Lian Wan said, "With the people from the Vehicle Team. We'll each get our own room."

The little girl was watching them curiously. The atmosphere was strange. Zhou Yanqian felt the tips of her ears burn. "Then… let me know when you've settled in."

But the person before her just stared intently, like a big dog with long eyelashes, too reserved to even coax, stubbornly silent.

She had no choice but to soften her voice again. "Give me a call, okay?"

"Mm," Lian Wan replied softly, her expression finally easing as she looked at her. "I'm leaving, then."

She walked outside and climbed into the high driver's seat. Only then did she see the message from Zhou Yanqian on her phone:

Have a safe trip.

Lian Wan stared at the message for a long while before turning the key.

As the truck started, the view through the windshield became clear. There were no decorations in the cab; she had never hung the Safety Knot back up after tearing it down last time.

For safety reasons, many truck drivers are very superstitious. There's even an industry rule advising against married couples both being drivers. But Lian Wan had never felt the need for such precautions. To her, survival was just something her parents and grandmother had left her. Whether she lived or died didn't feel like it was truly her own decision.

But now, it seemed that was no longer the case.

After dropping off the little girl, she went back to work. It was another journey of noise and chaos. The factory noise was irritating, and drivers couldn't leave while their trucks were being loaded. A worker next to her struck up a conversation and offered her a cigarette. Lian Wan took it but, as usual, just tucked it behind her ear without lighting it.

She was sweating a lot, and even the cigarette got damp from the sweat on her cheek, sticking uncomfortably to her skin.

"It's really hot today," the person next to her said.

Lian Wan stared at the cigarette between his yellowed fingertips, a single scarlet point. The smell wasn't pleasant. The furniture factory was filled with flying sawdust and the pungent smell of paint. Everyone coming and going was covered in grime, and she was no exception.

The less you have, the more you think about things. At times like this, Lian Wan would inevitably think of Zhou Yanqian. The feeling of the woman in her arms was so clear-fragrant, soft, full, and affectionate. Like the moon in the sky, she could bring a bit of sweetness for Lian Wan to savor in this filthy environment.

The idle chatter continued beside her, but she didn't respond. She just lowered her head and secretly let the corners of her lips curve into a small smile.

After the truck was loaded, she got back in. The sky was nearing dusk, and the aroma of dinner from the factory cafeteria drifted over on the evening breeze. The factory workers invited her to stay and eat. Lian Wan rolled down the window a little, politely declining while making small talk. The factory manager was there, and she knew how to handle these situations. She wasn't actually a particularly stubborn person.

As Lian Wan drove out of the furniture factory gates, she had a belated thought: why was she never this clever in front of Zhou Yanqian?

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